Yogurt Mountain founder to launch new chain of pizza restaurants in cities across Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The man who grew Yogurt Mountain from
a small local shop to a multi-state operation is hoping to replicate that
success in a new venture: Build-your-own pizza restaurants.

Birmingham entrepreneur David Kahn plans to launch a new
fast casual pizza chain in cities across Alabama, with the initial locations
planned for Tuscaloosa, Mountain Brook, Madison and Montgomery.

Called Pizza 120, the company will feature a variety of
fresh ingredients for diners to create their own pies. They'll walk through a
line, choosing their dough, sauce, cheese and toppings, and then their pizzas will
be cooked in two minutes.

The restaurant's name is derived from that cooking time: 120
seconds.

"We're taking the No. 1 food in America, and we're going to
make it fun, affordable and fast," Kahn said. "You design it, you create it and
we'll deliver it to your table."

Kahn is no stranger to the food
business.

In 2009, he founded Birmingham-based
Yogurt Mountain, which kicked off a wave of new self-serve frozen yogurt shops
in the metro area. The following year, he sold a majority of the company to Birmingham's
Books-A-Million and a related equity firm. And last summer, he sold out
his remaining stake in the business, which had more than 40 stores in 14 states
at the time.

Kahn, who used to be one of the
nation's biggest Blockbuster franchisees, received national press for the way
he reinvented himself with Yogurt Mountain following the video chain's bust.

Since his exit from Yogurt Mountain, he has been looking for
his next project, and he settled on pizza. The build-your-own, fast casual
pizza trend is particularly popular on the West Coast, but Kahn plans to put
his own stamp on it.

His restaurants, he said, will have a family atmosphere, as
well as ingredients and ovens imported from Italy.

Joining him in the business is Tasker Hewitt, who left a
13-year career with California Pizza Kitchen for the start-up Pizza 120.

Hewitt started as a server at CPK's restaurant at The Summit
shopping center in Birmingham and worked his way into a management career with
the company, helping to open new locations across the Southeast.

He knew Kahn and his family as regular diners at CPK, and
that friendship turned into a business relationship six months ago when Kahn
asked him to be a part of the new venture.

Hewitt, now vice president of operations for Pizza 120, said
he couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"I've been around pizza forever, and I really feel this is the future of pizza," he said. "It's fast, it's a great product and it's unlike what anybody else is doing."

Pizza 120 will offer a signature dough, made with Italian-style, low-gluten flour. There also will be a gluten free option.

Sauces will include Alfredo, pesto and a red variety made with Italian tomatoes, and there will be a wide variety of cheeses, meats and vegetables.

The restaurants' ovens, which are being manufactured in Italy, are gas-powered with rotating decks and reach a temperature of 800 degrees.

The 10-inch pies are expected to range in price from $5 for
a cheese pizza to $7.99 for one with unlimited toppings.

Pizza 120 also will sell salads, soft drinks and a selection
of beers and wines. And there will be dessert pizzas, which customers also can
build themselves.

Four company-owned restaurants are set for the initial
phase, and Kahn said leasing negotiations are underway for additional locations
in Alabama and Mississippi. He expects to franchise, but he plans to get the first wave opened first.

The first Pizza 120 is set to open at the beginning of June
on 15th Street in Tuscaloosa. It will be followed by one in Mountain
Brook – in Mountain Brook Plaza off U.S. 280 – around the end of June or the
beginning of July.

Next is a location on U.S. 72 in Madison, which is scheduled
for a mid-July opening. And then there's the Montgomery restaurant, set to open
at The Shoppes of EastChase at the beginning of August.

Each location will be about 2,500 square feet and will seat 72 to
74 people. Kahn estimates the investment in each store will be about $400,000.

Kahn and Hewitt said they believe Pizza 120 will be a good fit for busy families who want quality food.

"Who doesn't love
pizza? It cuts across so many lines. Parents eat it. Kids eat it. You can make
it as simple or as high-end as you want. It really is a food that is
limitless," Hewitt said.